Warmth

In addition to a warm dining room, one of the meals we offered today was roast pork with crispy potatoes and vegetables.

When it's cold outside, being able to eat in a heated dining room and warm up is sometimes just as much of a draw as the food being served.

Today at the Wednesday Community Meal we noticed that our guests weren't just eating and leaving, they were lingering. Because, it's the start of that harsh weather time of year when our weekly free meal also becomes an unofficial warming station for guests who are desperate for comfort.

It's also a reminder to us volunteers not to ever take having shelter for granted. And, since I've gotten to know so many nice people without a home, I can't help but worry about them when it's cold. I wish I could always offer them a place to be warm and dry.

We served 286 meals today of roast pork, burritos, turkey, sweet and sour chicken and shrimp, ribs and pizza. We also offered sides of potatoes and vegetables as well as soup, salad and dessert.